Renthia Kaimbi
The Namibia Medical Society (NMS) and the Medical Association of Namibia (MAN) have demanded that Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare withdraw his allegations of an organised criminal cartel exploiting the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS), warning that his remarks risk unfairly casting the entire medical profession under suspicion.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, the two organisations called on Ngurare to unconditionally withdraw the allegations through a formal statement in the National Assembly, issue a public apology and present a factual report detailing the alleged irregularities, the categories of healthcare providers implicated and the investigations undertaken.
The associations said they were deeply concerned by remarks Ngurare made during a National Assembly sitting on 22 October, arguing that he had made serious allegations of organised criminal conduct without presenting supporting evidence to parliament.
Ngurare reportedly alleged that a network involving doctors and insiders within the scheme could be working together to exploit PSEMAS.
“It cannot be that already, as we speak, N$4 billion has been used just on Psemas, and that cartel seems to be working very well. It seems somebody is working hand in hand with doctors to overclaim,” Ngurare was quoted as saying.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while responding to concerns about PSEMAS expenditure and the challenges facing the scheme, following a parliamentary question about shortages of essential medicines in public health facilities.
NMS and MAN said Ngurare had shifted the discussion from medicine shortages to PSEMAS, indicating that the scheme’s governing council had met and that recommendations were being compiled for presentation to parliament before proceeding to make allegations of criminal activity.
“We consider it irresponsible for the head of government to make allegations of this magnitude without placing the necessary facts before parliament,” the associations said.
They acknowledged that the Prime Minister might not have intended to implicate every medical doctor but argued that his words had created an impression of collective criminality.
“However, words have consequences, including unintended ones. Their impact extends beyond the speaker’s intentions,” the statement reads.
The organisations warned that such remarks could undermine public confidence in medical practitioners, who are entrusted with the lives and well-being of the population.
They stressed that they did not condone corruption, fraudulent claims or unethical professional conduct, adding that they would not defend any practitioner found guilty of wrongdoing.
However, they argued that individuals suspected of misconduct should be identified and held accountable through established laws, investigative institutions and professional regulatory mechanisms rather than having an entire profession associated with criminal activity.
“Those responsible must be identified and brought to account, without reducing an entire profession to an organised criminal cartel,” the associations said.
The medical bodies also cautioned against attributing PSEMAS’s financial difficulties exclusively to medical practitioners, noting that doctors were not the only healthcare providers submitting claims to the scheme.
They said expenditure should be examined across all categories of providers and that the scheme’s financing arrangements, payment mechanisms and utilisation controls should be designed to promote cost-effectiveness, efficiency and quality healthcare.
According to the associations, weaknesses in the design and administration of these mechanisms should not automatically be treated as evidence of criminal conduct by healthcare providers.
The dispute comes as government seeks additional funding to sustain PSEMAS, with finance minister Ericah Shafudah announcing during the 2026/27 midterm budget review that N$535 million had been earmarked for the scheme.
The additional allocation forms part of a proposed N$665 million increase under the ministry of finance, with the remaining N$130 million intended to replenish the Contingency Fund.
The government has been pursuing reforms to address concerns about the scheme’s financial sustainability, including the establishment of a governance council, the introduction of a benefits cap and changes to member contribution structures.
NMS and MAN said they remained willing to contribute their professional expertise to the reform process, but maintained that meaningful engagement with healthcare professionals and their representative bodies was necessary for sustainable changes.
They also called on the Speaker of the National Assembly to consider Ngurare’s remarks under the House’s applicable Standing Rules, particularly provisions concerning offensive and unbecoming language and the protection of persons who are not members of parliament.
The associations said accountability should be based on facts, fairness and due process, rather than allegations that could damage the reputation of an entire profession.
